


the things we don't say out loud

by sophh



Series: Love Fest 2021 [6]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Facebook: The Fairest of the Rare, Ficlet, First Kiss, Mild Hurt/Comfort, mild violence/gore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 10:35:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29294517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sophh/pseuds/sophh
Summary: After a nasty confrontation with Alecto Carrow, Neville makes a realization about his relationship with Luna.
Relationships: Neville Longbottom/Luna Lovegood
Series: Love Fest 2021 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2150826
Comments: 8
Kudos: 16
Collections: Love Fest 2021





	the things we don't say out loud

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pandora_rose_xo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pandora_rose_xo/gifts).



> I definitely did not procrastinate on other things to write this gift fic. :p
> 
> Inspired by a throwaway line in Deathly Hallows. 
> 
> Written for pandora_rose_xo for Love Fest 2021. 
> 
> #TeamCass

Righteous anger coursed through Neville's veins as he faced down Alecto Carrow. The Death Eater-turned-professor had just given an especially heinous lecture on why "breeding" with Muggles was wrong. Neville wasn't sure what was worse—the drivel spewing from the she-Carrow's mouth or the absolute conviction she exuded in regards to it. 

Carrow laughed. It was a chilling sound, devoid of any real pleasure, and it sent a shiver down Neville's spine. 

"Something the matter, Longbottom?"

The Gryffindor's hands curled into fists. The sensation of his nails digging into his palms was enough to ground him, to give him the strength to ask the question dancing around in his head. It was sure to earn him a few gashes, but he didn't care. 

"Yeah, there is. Your lecture really got me thinking, _Professor_. How much Muggle blood have you and your brother got?" he said loudly. "Nothing personal, I'd just like to make sure I'm not being taught by a hypocrite." 

There was a collective gasp from his fellow students, then dead silence. Neville held his professor's beady gaze and watched as she trembled with rage. 

"How dare you— _Crucio!"_

Neville dropped to the floor with a strangled yell. A stinging pain had erupted above his left eyebrow, and warm crimson blood was beginning to blur his vision. He could hear some of his classmates screaming as he scrunched his eyes shut. Finally, the noise and agony were too much to bear, and he passed out on the floor of the Muggle Studies classroom. 

***

When he awoke, Neville was unsure where he was. There was a pillow under his head and he was no longer on the hard classroom floor. After a moment, he realized he wasn't alone, either. Luna Lovegood was standing over him, concern evident in her wide, pale grey eyes. 

"Are you all right, Neville?" she asked, peering at him with such intensity that he had to resist the urge to squirm. 

He lifted a hand to his face and was relieved when it came away dry. "Yeah, I'm fine. Where...where are we?" 

"The Room of Requirement," Luna said solemnly. "Ginny and I brought you here." 

"How did you two know—"

"Seamus saw the whole thing, of course. Ginny overheard him talking about it, and she in turn told me." Luna brushed some hair away from his forehead and picked up a washcloth that had been sitting in a bowl on the floor.

"What's that for?" 

"It's got Murtlap Essence on it," Luna said, her voice back to its usual airiness. "I cleaned away the blood already, but this should help the skin heal. I thought the blood of a blue-breasted Ballysnickle would have better healing properties, but the Room didn't provide that." 

Neville shuddered. He had no idea what a blue-breasted Ballysnickle was—or if it was even a real creature—but he certainly didn't want its blood anywhere near him. 

"That's all right, Luna, I'm sure the Murtlap Essence will be fine," he said. 

Luna began to dab at his forehead with a gentle hand, and Neville immediately felt a pleasant cooling sensation. He smiled and let his eyes flutter shut, surrendering his care to the girl that everyone called "Loony." They were wrong, he thought. She was incredibly kind and understanding. Maybe her ideas were a bit odd, but she didn't deserve to be judged so harshly for them. 

"Does that feel better?" Luna asked, cutting into his thoughts. 

"Much." Neville sighed happily. "That stuff feels amazing." 

"I'll keep going, then." 

Neville opened his eyes for a brief moment, just in time to see her smiling down at him. 

***

A quarter of an hour later, Luna announced that she was done. 

"I think the Murtlap has done all it can for now," she explained, putting the washcloth back into the bowl. "You can always put more on later, though." 

Neville sat up and looked around. He had been lying on a thick blue cushion in the middle of the room. Along the walls, there were several wooden bookcases filled with glass jars of assorted shapes and sizes. 

"Various healing ingredients," Luna said, in answer to his unspoken question. She was always so good at reading people. "I think some might even be Muggle remedies—I'd never heard of them before." 

Neville nodded, his throat suddenly dry. He knew that he should thank her for her help, but he was unable to find the courage to do so. There was some kind of irony in the thought that he could stand up to Alecto Carrow but didn't know how to talk to a girl. 

He supposed it was because this particular girl meant so much to him. She was more than just a comrade in the fight against the Death Eater regime, and if he was being honest, she was more than just a friend, too. They understood each other— _believed_ in each other—in a way that no one else really did.

"Hey, Luna?" He winced as his words came out as little more than a croak. Her eyes turned to him, full of curiosity, and he swallowed hard. "I just, erm...I just wanted to say thanks." 

"It was no trouble," she said pleasantly, moving to sit beside him on the cushion. Her proximity was distracting, as was the fact that she was wearing her dirigible plum earrings. 

"No, I know, but…" Neville took a deep breath, searching for the courage he had felt that morning in Muggle Studies. "You've done so much for me, not just today, but over the last few months. I wanted to thank you for, you know, all of that." 

Luna smiled. "Sometimes we tell people things without ever saying a single word aloud. Did you know that, Neville?" 

Neville wasn't sure he understood what Luna meant, so he shook his head. He thought she was talking about body language, but the way she was looking at him made him second-guess his comprehension. 

The way she was looking at him made him second-guess why he hadn't kissed her yet. 

He scooted closer, giving her time to back away if she wanted to. When she didn't, he slowly leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. 

"I fancy you, Luna," he murmured as he pulled away. 

Luna's laugh echoed through the room. "Yes, I think you just made that perfectly clear." 


End file.
